Gaston College's top moments from 2022-23: No. 2 Softball makes historic NJCAA World Series appearance
The record-setting odyssey that was Gaston College's 2023 season in women's softball culminated with an appearance in late May in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in Choccoloco Park in Oxford, Ala.
While the year ended with a pair of defeats on day one of the tournament, there was much to be proud of for a program that was in its first official season of competition.
"Being able to experience the World Series in our first season was a great foundation to lay for the rest of our program moving forward," Rhinos coach Mike Steuerwald said. "Obviously, it left us with a hunger to get back and have more success while we are there, but it was still a great opportunity for our team, to get the experience of competing at the highest level."
In the tournament on May 24, Gaston took an early 1-0 lead but couldn't hold off the two-time defending champion Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers in a 5-2 defeat.
Later the same day, following a 75-minute weather delay, the Rhinos again took an early lead (2-0) before Indian Hills, Iowa used a pair of late rallies on its way to a 17-2 victory.
The losses ended Gaston College's season with a 43-10 overall record in the school's first official season in the sport. Steuerwald's team won the Region 10 regular season and tournament titles and swept a best-of-three Mid-Atlantic District tournament.
Seeded 15th in the 16-team tournament, the Rhinos drew a Florida SouthWestern State program that was making its fifth World Series appearance, coming off back-to-back championships and was ranked No. 2 in the final NJCAA poll; Florida SouthWestern later that week would win its third straight title.
Rhinos star pitcher Brantleigh Parrott saw her scoreless innings streak come to an end at 31 1/3 innings on a 2-run home run in the second inning. Later in the game, the Buccaneers dropped Parrott's seasonal record to 24-1 with one run in the fifth to snap the 2-all tie and a 2-run sixth.
Gracie Brown had a team-high two hits, Parrott had a RBI double and Asheton Queen, Gabrielle Porterfield, Serena Yalich and Logan Lilly all had hits to lead the Rhinos' offense. Gaston College was hurt by leaving eight runners on base and had two runners thrown out at home.
"We had lots of shots to win that first game," Steuerwald said. "We left a lot of runners on base. And when you're playing the No. 2 team in the country, you can't miss on your opportunities."
In the second game, Gaston College led 2-0 after Brown and Queen drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the second inning.
The Warriors tied the score in the third, then after a tiring Parrott was replaced by two relievers, Indian Hills took advantage of six errors in the next two innings to score 15 runs.
Lilly had two of Gaston College's three hits in the second game.